400 COOLIES

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1931, Page 6

400 COOLIES

SENT BACK TO CHINA

ARRIVAL OF 200 OTHERS

APIA, September 18.

On the beach at Apia all is tranquility and peace. Sounds of weeping and wailing are no more, touching farewell scenes are over, and inhabitants pursue the even tenor of their way. The Chinese coolie ship Apoey has come and gone, bringing with her 207 coolies, and talcing away 403, who left behind their many offspring to be comforted by disconsolate Samoan mothers.

The new arrivals were subjected to a strict search by police officials. Four men were discovered with the inevitable opium in their possession. Two had hidden their supply of the drug in the toes of the shoes they were wearing, and the policeman who located it is being congratulated on his thoroughness. The outgoing coolies were expeditiously embarked upon the transport. The miscellany of articles accompanying them was astonishing to behold. Samoan mats, kava bowls, and many curios were numerous. One man, who carried a treadle sewing machine with him through all the intricacies of embarkation, earned admiration and heartfelt sympathy.

TOOK LITTLE MONEY AWAY. All coolies. leaving Samoa were thoroughly searched, for weapons and. money, the' former being taken from them to prevent arguments, and the latter, to prevent-gambling on'the voyage. The money found in their possession was taken, and replaced by. a bank draft, payable in Hongkong. However, in most cases very little money was in evidence, most of the coolies having the unhappy prospect of landing penniless in their own country.

On the voyage to Samoa 12 stowaways materialised on the Apoey, no doubt having been tempted into making the journey by wonderful tales told by> previous trippers to these isles of Sunny South. On the departure of the vessel 18 men did not present themselves for transportation. Apparently these men prefer the joys of domestic life in Samoa to the idea of returning to the ancestral home.

Before the Apoey arrived, there were 015 coolies in Samoa. Now there are approximately 700, including most of the 100 men who are privileged to remain in Samoa as restricted “free settlers.” Tn the opinion of the majority of residents there are just 700 too many coolies in the territory to-day, and had that number been shipped away on the (Apoey, Samoa would have been better off in every way. the SOLOMON ISLANDERS. Admittedly Chinese labour on the plaiftatlofis 61 not be replaced ~#b y

Samoans, because their inherent indo-

lence would stand in the way of anything in the shape of steady work. However, a few hundred miles from Samoa, in the Solomon Islands, is a class ■of labourers., ideally .suited to conditions' which exist here. These labourers could

be‘transported at smaller cost than the coolies, because of the smaller distance to travel, and besides bein',' equally good workers, they, have characteristics which make them infinitely perferable as (temporary residents in Samoa. Where the Chinese coolie spends his spare time gambling, opium smoking, and quarrelling, the Solomin Islander, prefers to retire to his own village and rest. Also, the Solomon Islanders not being nearly so fecund as the Chinese, could be permitted to have his wife and family with him during his term of labour and to tal<c them away with him at the expiry of that period. A section of the European community would protest against any action that would deprive them of their immaculate and discreet houseboys. Certainly the (Solomon boy would be rather out of place in this vocation, but it would appear feasible to allow a few Chinese. The main issue is that of coolie labour. (Surely it would be.ybetter to have a class of labour that most certainly equals the Chinese in efficiency, and is less harmful than the Chinese in its effects on the Samoan race.

The offspring of the repatriated coolies will not, as might be expected, be a burden on the Administration, although it must be admitted that this is not due to any steps .taken by the Administration to prevent it. The adaptability of the Samoans is such that the offspring and their mothers may, generally without much trouble, be taken care of by the mothers’ families. However, anyone can have “.too much of a good thing,’’ and this will soon be the case with tlie long-suffering families.

Perhaps the strongest cause of discontent with the Administration s engaging of Chinese labour in Samoa is the ever-increasing number of coolies filling positions other than those of labourers on plantations, and thereby' taking employment from local people who unquestionably' should have the preference. Nearly 100 Chinese, originally imported as labourers, .have been granted trading licenses and are not obliged to return to. China. These men have set up as bakers, tailors, restaurateurs, laundrymen, and so on, and are seriously compel ng with local Europeans and haltcastes. This state of affairs naturally does not cause any enthusiasm for the •Administration.

Summing up, the advantages of (Chinese against local labour are absolutely not to be weighed against their tragic human effects upon the Samoan race. Already, the history of New Zealand in Samoa is not a pleasant one. By banishing the Chinese from the tenitory, -iNew Zealand would serve the dual purpose of rectifying one of her mistakes and of earning the appreciation of th- Samoan people.